Our Team

Gregory L. Zink is the President and CEO of NGJ and has held the positions of Chief Financial Officer and Chief Operating Officer of NGJ during his twenty year tenure with NGJ. Under Mr. Zink’s leadership, NGJ has been a world leader and innovator of leading-edge fitness, wellness and innovative lifestyle products and services. Mr. Zink has served in a wide variety of senior executive and international financial positions in his career in both public and private entities and has successfully negotiated major agreements with some of Japan’s largest corporations including Mitsubishi and Sumitomo.

Mr. Zink also founded and served as President and Director of Heuristic Development Group. Mr. Zink was instrumental in developing this software company from inception to its public offering and its eventual sale. He has experience in private equity, turnarounds and management consulting. Most recently, Mr. Zink was Acting CEO to a private internet marketing company that was acquired by a NASDAQ public company. Mr. Zink has also been employed by General Electric and AT&T. Mr. Zink earned his MBA from the Wharton Business School at the University of Pennsylvania in 1983 and his BS in Finance from Pennsylvania State University in 1979.

Kimitane Sohma is Co-Founder and President of NGJ Japan and has served in this capacity since 1983. Mr Sohma is from one of the oldest families in Japan and was a member of the Japanese National Equestrian Team where he set various international horse jumping records. Mr Sohma brings a unique perspective to the fitness industry as an Olympic athlete, scratch golfer, financial analyst for Normura Securities, mergers and acquisitions expert, and as an entrepreneur. Mr Sohma also co-founded the worlds’ first fitness training and education academy, The Nautilus Academy, and co-developed the world’s first fitness artificial intelligence software system, EIS, the Expert Instructor System, which prescribed and tracked over 15 million personalized sports, fitness and wellness workouts and programs for Japanese from 16 to 84. Mr. Sohma led the negotiation of the historic agreement between NGJ, Mitsubishi and Sumitomo and has a keen understanding and working relationships with College, professional and Olympic sports organizations. Mr Sohma is currently president of the prestigious Caledonia and Tomasato Golf Clubs and has been involved for over 10 years in the health care and wellness markets in Japan and the US. and has consulted for one of the largest hospital chains in America.

Jerald Downen is Executive Vice President and Co-Founder of NGJ. Downen was previously employed at the Vail Ski School where he was assigned to security details for President Gerald Ford, the President of Mexico and other dignitaries. During this time, Mr. Downen was equally fortunate to work with Arthur Jones, President and Founder of Nautilus Sports Medical Industries, on projects, including the “Colorado Experiment”, “The West Point Study,” and The Nautilus Television Network.

These experiences inspired Downen and associates to create the Nautilus Academy in Tokyo Japan in 1983 as a training, education and branding platform. Nautilus Academy attracted celebrities such as Madonna, Michael Jackson’s Bad Tour security and dancers, Sir Paul McCartney’s World Tour, Japanese Royal Princes, President Ronald Reagan’s staff, US Embassy personnel, Arnold Schwarzenegger, sports legends including Gary Player, Japanese Olympians and professional athletes. Nautilus Academy programs generated millions of personalized Nautilus Academy training experiences for Japanese men, women and children, ranging in ages from 10 to 84.

As former President of Virgin Earth Productions, Tokyo, Mr. Downen maintains contacts with Japanese media and news sources. He is dedicated to senior and baby boomer health issues, self health care management, women’s sports performance, osteoporosis and diabetes prevention, cardio and orthopedic rehabilitation and chronic disease management. Mr. Downen and his associates have presented numerous workshops on these and other related topics throughout Japan.

Mr. Downen earned his undergraduate degree at the University of Tennessee in 1970. Upon graduation, Downen worked in the Community/Education Medical Division of CIBA-Geigy Pharmaceuticals on several projects including the CHEC (Community Health and Education Clinic) and The Framingham Heart Study.